How Could You Have Fallen So Far?
by DaringGirl55
Summary: What happened to Clive after the events of Unwound Future? Of course jail, but... what then? What happened to the confident, witty, smart young man? And can he be brought back? If you cry easily, have a tissue box near by. (On hold)
1. Chapter 1

"Professor, why are we here again?" Luke questioned for the second time that trip. They stood outside the largest library in London, but Luke still hadn't caught the reason.

"We are here to research. What else is a library for?" Layton asked playfully.

"But, Professor? What research?" Luke pressed, eager to know what what it was.

"You know the time machine explosion ten years ago?" Layton asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yes, but Professor, don't you know all about that now? I mean, what with Dmitri telling us all about it, don't you know all you need to know?" Luke tried to speed up his pace to look the Professor in the eyes, though Layton never slowed his pace through the library.

"I know quite a bit about that, yes. But there was something else around that time that was also covered up that I am curious about. Nothing compared to the explosion, but still, something I'd like to learn about." The Professor explained as they arrived at the front desk.

"Professor?" Flora asked quietly, who had tailed along, "Can I go and grab a book to read at home?"

"Of course, Flora. But don't take too long." The Professor nodded. Flora squeaked happily and made as much noise as a mouse as she went off in one direction.

"Sir," Layton turned to the man behind the desk, who was ready to go. "Is there something I can help you find?"

"Yes. I'm looking for information on a specific date." The Professor explained. When the man looked ready to type it into his computer, Layton continued, "March 27, 1950." The Professor answered. (I don't know the actual day)

After a few minutes of clicking, the man rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Well, the only information we have on that is down in the Archives. If you would give me a moment." He said. He grabbed the phone near him and pressed two numbers. "Professor Layton is here. He's looking for information on the date 'March 27, 1950'." The mans said evenly into the phone, but his voice became harsh when he continued, "Tell that BRAT to have the information ready to grab by the time we get there." Then he hung up. He plastered a smile across his face. "Follow me."

He walked around his desk and motioned for them to follow him. He lead them down a hall and to a stairwell. At the bottom, the room was enormous. Everything echoed in the room because of the cement flooring and walls. The bookshelves towered high above them and were wide enough to only leave some room for maneuvering. The shelves themselves looked a bit overstuffed.

Both Layton and Luke jumped when the man shouted angrily, "DOVE!"

The sound of sliding and scampering feet echoed off the walls the moment the man shouted. By the sounds of it, the person was sliding into bookshelves as they ran to find the caller.

Out from between the bookshelves came a tall young man. His blonde hair was ruffled and looked like there was just as much dust in his hair as on the papers that he clung to, showing that he had been down here a while. His feet slid again as he tried to turn, but he used one hand and place it on the floor to keep his balance. He hurried to stand in front of the man, and gave the papers over to him.

Layton looked him over, recognizing him, but unable to put his finger on it. The blue socks went up to the young mans mid-calf. The brown shorts and brown, button-up vest struck, but not quite struck home. The white shirt underneath his vest almost made him remember. For some reason, he kept picturing a teal tie tucked into the vest and a blue jacket around the boys shoulders.

The man began to turn to give the papers over to Layton, when he suddenly turned back to the young man, and slapped him across the face with the back of his hand. "WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE?" He demanded of the young man, now quivering on the floor. "GET OUT OF HERE, DOVE!" The young man scampered to his feet, and took off running the other direction.

Once the boy was out of sight, The Professor finally caught the thought that had been avoiding him. "Dove?" He asked, "Clive Dove?"

"Yeah, the brat isn't aloud near people." The man spat.

"Hey! That's not very nice!" Luke exclaimed, hands on his hips and scolding the man.

"Who cares? Here's the information you wanted. You can take it home to look at if you want." The man said, as though what he had done never happened.

"Thank you." Layton stated as kindly as he could. As they walked out of there, the Professor looked back over his shoulder in hopes that he might catch one more glimpse of Clive.

'_What's happened to you, Clive? How could you have fallen so far?_' Was his last thought as he left the room, and back to ground level.

In the car that evening, as the headed for home after the insentient at the library, Flora chattered on about the book she found and how excited she was to read it. The Professor had stayed at the library to scan over the papers, but couldn't focus on those. Though the Professor listened to Flora, He only heard half of what she said, if that. His mind kept lingering towards them memory of the shaking boy on the floor.

"Professor?" Flora asked, managing to catch his attention.

Shaking his head free of the thought that consumed him, he looked to Flora through the mirror. "I'm sorry, Flora. Could you please repeat that last bit?"

"Professor, Luke, normally you both are talkative, what's wrong?" Her gaze shifted between the two males in the the car as both tried to find a way to explain.

"Well, um, we saw Clive at the library. He... His boss... Clive is REALLY different." Luke stuttered.

"Clive? You mean the Clive that wanted to level London?" Flora asked like it were just as normal as going to the store.

"Yes. The one and only. But his boss was extremely mean to him." Layton told her.

"Well, then he should apologize for being mean!" Flora stated as though it were obvious. "If only it were that easy..." The Professor sighed.

The car ride went back to silence as they all just listened to the night pass by. Not long after, a not so pleasant sound of boys laughing at the expense of someone else entered the air.


	2. Chapter 2

With no one else on the roads this late at night, Layton slowed the Laytonmobile as they came closer to the noise of boys meanly laughing at someone. Turning off the headlights, he slowed the car down until it stopped. Looking over to the sidewalk, Flora crawled over the seat and watched over Luke's shoulder at the scene before them.

A ring of boys circled some poor boy in the middle. They all pushed the one in the middle around and over to the others, keeping his off his balance. As the boy was pushed again, the boy he was falling towards, side-stepped and the boy in the middle fell hard on his hands and knees.

With a better look at the boy, Luke and Layton recognized him from seeing him earlier in the library. His body tensed as he tried not to cry, but tears fell anyway.

"Look! Mute's crying!" They all laughed and pointed at him.

In a sudden burst of energy, Clive went from his knees to his feet, and was down the street before the boys realized that he was gone. They shouted angrily and took off after him. The Professor started the car again, and drove after them.

Clive turned down a blocked ally and saw a wall at the end and a metal bridge suspended in the air, spreading between the two buildings. He charged forward. He jumped off the wall and back-flipped through the air. He grabbed the railing to stop himself from flying over, and his feet swung around until they hit the metal with a loud clang; out of the reach of his tormentors. The Professor and the children watch as it all goes down, and park outside the alleyway.

The boys who had been tormenting Clive stood underneath, glaring up at him. "You can't stay up there forever, Mute!" And they walked away, while Layton and Co. climb there way up in the shadows.

Flora made it up first, and heard the silent tears of Clive. He hugged his knees tightly to his chest as he cried into his sleeve. When Flora's fingers lightly brush his shoulder, he jumped and crawled away quickly. When he looked back over his shoulder, she saw the fear in his eyes and tear stains on his cheeks.

"Clive, are you alright?" Professor Layton asks gently, slowly approaching the shaking boy. The boy only stared at the Professor, giving off the feeling of a hurt puppy.

Clive began to slide away as the professor approached. "Clive, I promise I won't hurt you." He said gently. At the Professor's promise, Clive hesitated. The Professor slowly crouched down to Clive's level, and looked straight into the eyes of the fearful boy. "Clive, are you alright?" The Professor asked again.

Clive shook his head back and forth, but never let his eyes leave the Professor's. A strong breeze blew through the ally, making Clive tucked his chin in and wrapped his arms tightly around himself to try and keep warm from the freezing night breeze. Though the wind easily ripped through his thin shirt like knives, making him shiver violently.

"Come, Clive. Lets go to my apartment. It's not far from here." The Professor offered his hand to the shivering boy once he himself was fully standing. Clive slowly took Layton's hand, and lifted himself to his feet, with help from the professor.

Another blast of freezing wind shot through the ally, and Clive pulled himself in again. The Professor slipped his coat off and around the young man's shoulders. To a man with a wool shirt under his coat, he was perfectly fine without it.

Gently, Flora took one of Clive's hands, as Clive's other hand griped the coat together in front, and guided him forward as the Professor kept his hand on the boys upper back, and kept him comforted as much as he could.

The car ride was almost silent on the way to the apartment. Clive sat in the back, staring out his window, while Luke sat on the other side of the bench, thinking to himself. Flora had grabbed the passenger seat next to Layton. Out of the silence, Luke turned to Clive and questioned, "You haven't said a single word, sarcastic or other wise, sense we've seen you. What's wrong?"

Clive looked to his lap sadly, as he pulled the coat tighter around his thinning frame.

"It's like you can't even talk any more." Luke stated, and Clive slowly nodded his head. "Wait, what?!"

"You mean you can't speak anymore?" Flora asked, turning in her seat to see the older boy. Again, Clive sadly nodded his head.

'_How could you have fallen so far so fast, Clive?_' The Professor thought worriedly.

* * *

The car parked in front of a tall, red brick, building. Professor Layton opened the dark wood, double doors as Flora led Clive into the hall lined with doors, each having a small golden plate with a number on it.

Luke ran passed the others to the elevator on the other end of the hall. "I get to press the button!" He cheered all the way down the hall.

"No!" Flora stated loudly, "It's my turn!" She released Clive's hand and chased down Luke.

Clive froze in place, watching the two children run for the metal doors and argue at the same time.

The Professor gently placed his arm around Clive's shoulders, catching the attention of the young man. He gave a gentle smile to the lost and hurt boy. The corner of Clive's mouth twitched as though he were trying to smile, but forgot how.

Layton guided Clive forward to the elevator, where the two youngest of the group were still arguing. Flora had her hands on her hips and Luke folded his arms in front of his chest, both refusing to back down. "Why don't I press the button this time. If you can decide before the next time we use the elevator, THEN one of you can press the button." Layton decided.

"Yes, Professor." They apologized together.

* * *

Upon the elevator doors opening to the fifth floor, Luke and Flora burst out the doors as though they were entering a candy shop.

"Welcome to my home, Clive." The Professor announced as he walked through the open door to his, fairly large, apartment. Luke and Flora were already flung on the couch, laughing together. Both children had their legs hanging over the arms f the couch and their head almost touching. All in all, it was a picture perfect moment.

"Children, we need to find a lace for Clive to sleep tonight. And it may be the couch which you are on!" The Professor stated, a hinting smile spread across his face.

Luke's eyes widened in excitement and he flung himself off the couch and over to the Professor and Clive. "He could sleep in my bed! Then I could sleep on the couch!" He shouted enthusiastically.

"That would be very kind of you, Luke. What do you say, Clive?" Layton turned to the young man. When Clive said nothing the Professor realized his mistake, "Oh, right. Would you like to sleep on a bed?"

Clive didn't even think about his answer. Violently, he shook his head. "Why not?" Flora asked.

With his inability to talk, Clive gestured to Luke, hoping they would get the message.

"If your trying to say that it's Luke's bed, then might I remind you that he full-heartedly offered it to you." Layton explained.

"Please, Clive!" Luke begged, "I've always wanted to sleep on the couch! But the Professor and my Mother would never let me because I 'have a perfectly fine bed'."

"That's because you do. But if we have a guest, then it is polite to let them sleep there. It's just one night, Clive. After that, we could probably find a cot for you to sleep on if its that uncomfortable for you." The Professor explained. "But if you would rather, you may have the couch instead."

Flora had dashed out of the room moments before, and came back into the room with a screeching stop in front of Clive. Layton took the shoulders of his coat as Clive shrugged it off, and Flora excitedly handed him a pad of paper and a crayon.

"I tried to find a pen or even a pencils, but I suppose this should work for now until I can find one!" She smiled brightly like she had just solved one of the world greatest puzzles.

Clive looked like he just scratched on the paper before showing her what he wrote. In very neat hand writing, he put, "Thank you"

"Why won't you take my bed?" Luke piped up, now that Clive could tell them exactly why.

Clive quickly summed up why on the pad and gave it to Luke to read. Luke read aloud every word. "I won't take your bed because I already feel like I'm imposing. I would rather have the couch, if that's alright."

"Why, Clive, your not imposing at all!" The Professor announced, "We will gladly take you in and do what we can to help you. It doesn't matter what you've done in the past, because you already paid for it, and more."

Luke handed back the pad and Clive again looked to scribble over it. Once he was finished, Luke took it and spoke for him.

"No one else seems to think so."

"Clive, listen to me full and clear." The Professor stated firmly. "You have done your time, you have made amends, and your story has been told. The Prime Minister is behind bars. Then you go off, get a job in the Archives, and take on everybody dumping on you. I full believe you are better than you think you are. It only matters what YOU think, not what those random people in the street think." Layton explained.

"If you really want the couch, I guess you can have it." Luke stressed the word 'really' more than he probably should have, but got his point across.

Taking the pad again, Clive quickly wrote, "Actually, if you want to sleep on the couch that bad, Luke, who am I to stop you?"

"So you'll take my bed?" Luke asked, looking about burst in excitement.

Clive practically flicked his wrist and the word, "Yes" ended up on the paper. Luke began to jump up and down in celebration. "We'll then, lets get you settled in." Layton smile, following the celebratory young lad.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yay! Glad people like it! BTW, if you get angered easily, don't read the dream scene!**

**Also, could use some help. Send me ideas for later on in the story! What you see happening. **

* * *

The Professor had dug through his dresser in search of an extra pair of pajamas's, though from the looks of it, a pair of Luke's pajamas would out of his drawer he pulled a pair of white pajamas with thin, blue lines combing down the soft fabric.

Carefully folding them back up, he carried them to Luke's room where Clive sat on the bed, arms resting on his legs, and staring at his hands. On the nightstand by the bed, Clive had place the pad and crayon Flora had given him.

"I found something for you to wear to bed, Clive." Layton gave a small smile when Clive looked up from his train of thought. He nodded his head gratefully, and took the cloths.

The professor sat next to him on the bed and looked to him curiously, "Why don't you smile anymore?"

Clive opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out, and he quickly clenched his mouth shut. He reached over and grabbed the pad and crayon and scratched down his reasoning. "I've been wronged so much that it feels like if I feel better, or even smile, everything will be taken from me again." The note said.

"That's not true, Clive." The Professor placed the pad down on his lap after reading it. "You are a very good person who bad things have happened to. It doesn't mean that the world will fall apart, or the sun will come crashing down if you smile even a little. I wont force you to smile or talk, that's all up to you. But do know that here, in this house, you are safe." He gently rubbed circles on Clive's upper back, before standing and leaving the room.

Clive so desperately wanted to tell the professor thank you. To let him know that he really did appreciate all he was doing for him. It was all building in his chest, and finally, at his last chance, he called out, "Professor!" But covered his mouth in fear. All the courage he had built up to say that one word, turned into pure fear.

Professor Layton turned back to Clive and looked at him, pride shining in his eyes towards the boy. But sadly, Clive couldn't bring himself to say another word, and grabbed for his pad again. Four simple words; "Thank you, Professor Layton" and Clive did his best to smile. It wasn't very big, but the Professor returned it five fold.

"Good night, Clive. I'll see you in the morning."

* * *

The morning had been fairly calm. Professor Layton stood in the kitchen working on breakfast, while Flora sat on the couch reading her new book, and Luke stared out into the early morning street. Clive was still sleeping, and they all decided to just let him sleep. But sadly, Clive wasn't dreaming.

_It was a dark room, and Professor Layton stood in the shadows, making his glare seem even more deadly. _ _"How dare you speak!" His whispered sounded much louder through the silence. "You are NOT aloud to speak, Clive!" He growled at the shaking boy in the middle of the room. _ _"Professor, I'm sorry!" Clive begged, tears streaming down his face. _ _"I said," Layton walked forward, "You are not aloud to SPEAK!" He smacked Clive hard, and sent the boy flying backwards into a wall. _ _"Professor, please! Please stop hurting me!" Clive cried, cringing into a small ball on the floor; His hands covering the back of his head. _ _Suddenly, the Professor was holding a gun. "I said," he whispered darkly, "Shut. Up." A loud bang was the last thing he heard. _

Clive went flying off the bed with a loud crash. His hands flashed across his head, chest, stomach, and legs, to make sure he was real.

"Clive?" The Professor came bursting into the room in a worried panic. Clive backed away from the Professor in fear, pressing his back against the bed. '_Wait, calm down. This is the real Professor Layton. He won't hurt me..._' Clive thought carefully.

Flora walked towards him slowly. "Did you have a nightmare, Clive?" She asked gently, kneeling in front of him. Clive nodded, avoiding eye contact with any of the three people in the room.

"Don't worry!" Luke perked up. "The Professor's waffles can drive away ANY nightmare! Trust me!" Luke smiled brightly before waving them all out of the room. "Come on!"

Clive slowly stood and followed Flora out. The Professor waited by the doorway, watching Clive's every move. "Clive," Layton's voice, though kinder and softer, still made Clive tense in fear. Gently placing his hand on Clive's shoulder, he asked quietly, "Might I inquire of your nightmare?"

The nightmare had only added to the fear of speaking, so Clive only shook his head in reply. The Professor nodded understandingly, but he didn't remove his hand from Clive's shoulder till they walked into the front room, where they went different directions. Though, Professor Layton could never stop glancing back at Clive, worried for his well-being.

Clive sat by the window next to Luke, watching the cars drive by, but Luke wasn't watching the morning anymore, he watched Clive. So many thoughts ran through Clive's head. Work, The other Boys. How would he evade them today? That trick he pulled last night was almost a one time deal. One voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Clive?" Luke said quietly. Once the older boys attention was on him, he continued, "What about the Library Archives? You don't have to go back, unless you want to go back. Then if you do go back, maybe I can come and help you!" Luke spoke quickly.

Clive pressed his lips together and avoided eye contact, not really sure that he WANTED to go back. He had worked there for a few years, alone, in the dimly lit basement...

"You don't have to go back, Clive. I can call them and tell them your done, if you want." The Professor offered. Clive looked to the Professor and nodded, in a way of saying "Yes, please." "Alright. I'll call them after breakfast. Now, it's time to eat!"


	4. Question for ALL readers!

This is just a question for he people reading an/or following this story; How would you react if I put a girl in the story? To kind of pull Clive out a bit more. If not I can try and think of other ideas to continue the story. I posted a poll for it! Go to my profile page and vote! Now!


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